Need Sewing Machine recommendation for sewing Sunbrella outdoor fabric

Your going to need a machine with good piercing power and build quality, and for that I'd suggest a quasi commercial machine. Or, look into "vintage" machines by Pfaff, Viking, Bernina, Elna or Singer. Many older machines were not only built to last, but quite strong (especially middle and top of the line), to deal with the needs of many home sewers who did everything from bastie curtains to Junior's denim overalls.

Many kite sewers like the Pfaff 1200 series, and they tend to use materials similar to what you are mentioning.

Candide

You are probably dreaming. What you need is an industrial walking foot machine. Not and industrial strength machine or some other fantasy machine. These are large heavy machines made to do the work you describe. They will be on a table 4 foot by 2 foot approximately, with a heavy motor under the table. They will be able to handle the larger thread sizes needed for the strength of that type work. Most home machines will not handle the heavy thread, those that can be tweaked will still struggle. You can get an idea of what these machines look like and will do

A Sailrite LS walking foot does just fine on Sunbrella. I have drilled up to 10 layers of Sunbrella on my LSZ (the zig-zag model) without any trouble. Suggest you get the Monster Wheel option because it both gives you a handy crank for doing one or two stitches at a time and because it makes for serious drilling power in heavy materials. Note that zig-zag is not needed, or even desired, for canvas work (zig-zag is used on sails because sails stretch slightly and the zig-zag stitch flexes a bit so the seams don't tear out). Straight stitch Sailrites are sometimes available used at the price you are looking for (most people want the zig-zag model either for sail work or because they think they will use it on canvas). The clones are not recommended because of the lack of the Monster Wheel and because of the lack of vendor support (by the time you get a clone tricked out to where you want it you are within the price of a 4 oz cone of V-90 thread).

Note, I also have old Pfaff 130, which was considered the cat's meow in do-it-yourself sail and canvas repair in times past. However, it just doesn't have the drilling power of my Sailrite. In fact, trying to sew a blue jeans belt loop back on using my Pfaff knocked it out of time, while my LSZ make short work of it with no heavy lifting.

Note to mariners, you can store a LS/LSZ in a Pelican Model 1550 (I think it's a 1550) waterproof case if you take the motor and motor mount off the machine and store under the arm. The machine fits in the next size Pelican (1600?) with the motor unmoved, but the 1600 is lots bigger.

Note to all regarding Sunbrella, serious basting tape for Sunbrella is available from Sailrite at $7.50 for a 60 yard roll. Staples also work, though one must take care to remove ALL of them afterwards or they rust. 3M Spray 77 also works wonders for tacking together large patches and panels prior to sewing.

Excuse my while I go finish up the main sail I am working on (nearly done). In a couple of corners it has 10 layers of 7.4 oz resinated sail cloth.

For just a little bit of work I'd suggest a SInger 201 or the Pfaff 130. No it won't work as good as the proper machine but probably can get the job done in the price range she is looking at. Probably the best thing is to see if you can just pay to have the job done or maybe find someone that will rent or loan you some time on a big machine. Fabricguru.com has some good prices on sunbrella. NAYY Taria

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

Neither of those will handle size 69 thread

Stay away from machines that were designed for the home but touted (on eBay and other online sales sites) as 'industrial strength' by the sellers. These include vintage Singers, Vikings, Pfaffs, and others. While they are all-metal and/or gear driven, they were designed for home use and NOT designed for the type of sewing you are doing.

You need a commercial machine, or an industrial.=20

To get one for under $300 look to buying used.

-Irene

If this is not for commercial or daily use but for occasional heavy-duty stuff, I strongly recommend an older all-metal, electronic Bernina that is in good condition. I've used my 931 for everything including leather--- heavy drapes, upholstery, grill covers, coats, jeans, etc. When I bought it new over 20 years ago, there was not a single other _new_ domestic machine that had anywhere near the penetration power as well as adequate room under the presser foot for thick items. A used industrial machine is also not a bad idea if all you'll ever sew is heavy stuff.

Thanks for all your suggestions and information. I'll be looking for a used Sailrite machine. I've already got their catalog (will be ordering some stuff from them but don't feel like buying a new sewing machine for the limited use I'd probably give it).

Thanks again. Really appreciate your feedback.

Sandy

Their low-end machine is only $300-something, and you can probably also use it for regular sewing. Not really a bad deal...

I too have been wanting to get a *magic* machine to handle occasional heavy weight projects plus light weight projects and i have consistently recieved the same answers given by most of the replies so far.

to add to others comments ....

A used Bernina 930/931/1030 etc is probabl;y going to run you about $ 550 (+) (the plus part) depends on condition and accesories included. At least that is what i found at local dealer and the "bay" reflects this as well. Occasionally you may find better deals but they are usually not listed correctly.

The few used Sailrites i watched on the "bay", couple of LS-1 and LSZ models, went for 229-450 range but that does not include shipping ($30 -

40) nor if the machine arrives in ready to use condition ?? and i can not remember what grade they were (i.e. classic ? standard ? pro ??)

also i speak from experience trying to get an older domestic to sew with #69 nylon or outdoor nylon thread that you may want to use. they can be coaxed into trying BUT your best case use will probably be poorly formed stitches with lots of wear on the machine and most likely and common case is machine struggles to stitch at all and causes the machine some grief or breakage.

I have been able to sew light duty upholstery occasionally on these vintage domestic machines but i used heavy duty home use threads as the upholstery type thread just did not want to stitch well. And the seams will probably fail alot sooner than i would like.

HTH robb

Try Tuffsew Industrial Machines. You need a walking foot. A friend of mine bought one off Ebay for around $200 and is very pleased with it.

You are in the same position we were a couple of years ago. We built a Sailrite kit sail cover using a domestic machine. The machine died. We looked at the Sailrite machines but they were just too expensive. Then we found one, a Yamata industrial machine straight stitch, no walking foot, no zig-zag, for about $600 including the table and 1/2 HP motor. The machine, sold by Harbor Freight, appears to be the same as the Sailrite top of the line at less than half the price. The latest Harbor Freight catalog now lists a walking foot industrial machine.

Let me tell you this thing is a real bear. For starters, the assembly weighs 225 pounds! Harbor Freight charged only $9.00 (that's nine) for shipping from California to New York. It has required an incredible amount of practice to become adept. But now we are producing marvelous work in Sunbrella and leather, however many layers you want to go through. We built a large bimini with many zippers and have produced custom sail covers for friends (for a fee, of course). We use No. 18 needles and No. 92 thread. For lighter work we would drop down to No. 16 needles and 69 thread.

A main problem with this machine is control. It uses a treadle to engage the clutch on the always running motor. That treadle requires a deft touch indeed. A slip of the toe and you're doing some 3,000 stitches a minute with broken threads and the like all over the place. One can acquire an electronic control and also different size pulleys that give better control, and slow down the machine. But those mods cost money. You can see them in the Sailrite catalog.

------------------------------------- LizaAnne

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